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US Beef Ban Lift Could Be Worth £60 Million

UK – A Welsh Farmers Union (FUW) spokesman has said US beef trade could now be worth over £60 million a year to Welsh farmers.

This is according to FUW Livestock, Wool and Marts Committee chairman Dafydd Roberts speaking after the US government decision to lift the fifteen year ban on European beef last week.

Imposed in 1998, the ban was in reaction to World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) warnings on the safety of EU beef during a bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) scare.

However, building the revenue stream will take time as marketing activity communicates beef quality messages, said Mr Roberts.

"Beef and lamb exports to the US could be worth more than £60m a year,” said Mr Roberts. “But it is of course going to take some time to show the US what fantastic quality beef we produce in this country.”

"For many years the US import ban has been at the top of the agenda during our annual meetings with the US Department of Agriculture, and we are looking forward to exploring the new market and building a strong relationship with consumers in the US.

He concluded: "We still need to have our meat inspection systems recognised as equivalent to those in the US, but once this has been overcome I hope that American consumers will be enjoying quality Welsh beef.”